14 Oct 2011

Politicians in the U.K. will be allowed to continue tweeting during
parliamentary debates after voting against a proposal to ban the use of Twitter in the House of Commons.
Members of Parliament can use smartphones and tablets inside the
chamber as long as the devices are set to silent mode and are used with
“decorum,” according to the BBC.
Several politicians had argued that using smartphones and tablets
during debates made those politicians appear to be detached from the
discussions. However, those who supported the use of the devices said
that they help MPs communicate with the public more easily and allow
them to multi-task during debates.
The Commons Procedure Committee recommended that MPs should be
allowed to use electronic devices other than laptops in the
Parliamentary Chamber, as long as they were in silent mode and were
“used in a way that does not impair decorum.” It also suggested that MPs
should be allowed to refer to their devices when making speeches,
rather than having to rely on paper notes.
A deputy Commons Speaker said in January that MPs were not allowed to
use Twitter inside the Chamber, but on Thursday, MPs voted 206 to 63
against a motion that would have formally introduced the ban on Twitter
usage.
During a debate on the issue, MP Luciana Berger said that only 2
countries in Europe have placed a ban on their politicans from tweeting
during debates and that the U.K. should not become the third. Another
MP, Claire Perry, said, “Tweeting helps MPs to stay informed, in touch
and accountable to their constituents and to ban this would be an
inexplicable step back in time.”According to Twitter, over 40 percent of MPs use the social network. Among them are Labour leader Ed Miliband and Minister for International Development Alan Duncan.